


Luna's Pokémon Adventure

by thenolifequeen



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-23
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-01 16:44:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8631331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenolifequeen/pseuds/thenolifequeen
Summary: In this story, Luna's adventures in Alola await you! She will learn and experience new things with the help of her Pokémon, and maybe even find love!





	1. Welcome to Alola!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! If the lame summary convinced you and you're here anyway, thanks.
> 
> I've been so excited about this game since they announced it, and now that I'm playing it, lots of headcanons and stuff that I wanted to read in a fanfiction didn't exist, and since I didn't do it for Pokémon XY, I decided to do it with this one.
> 
> This story, like I said in the summary will be my take of the events in the game, as well as trying to make the story more complete, like giving the main character a rich personality. That is at least what I aim to do with this, but I don't know if I'll be able to pull it off. Also I will stick to the in-game dialogues mostly.
> 
> Gladion will be the end game, but that doesn't mean the trainer won't have any other love interests. *cough cough* Ilima *cough cough* but don't worry, everything will be solved beautifully (I hope).
> 
> I don't have a beta, and since I really wanna publish it fast, I won't revise it. It will probably be filled with silly mistakes, sorry about that, and the obligatory "English is not my first language so apologies for that" needs to be mentioned too.
> 
> Anyway, go ahead and read it if you still are interested!
> 
> Read you at the bottom :)

The Aether Foundation was famous all around the world for the amazing work they’ve been doing with injured Pokémon, such as sheltering and nursing them back to health, as well as using their own base as a sanctuary. Three months ago the Foundation had offered Luna’s dad a very interesting position at their facility in Alola for all his research on Water Pokémon and after he discussed the offer with his family, he decided to take them up on it and moved to Alola with his wife and his daughter. Thing was, he would have to stay most of the time apart from them, at the labs in the Foundation; but if it meant a better future for Pokémon and his family, he would endure it, no matter how much he wanted to see his baby girl grow up and turn into a fine trainer herself. Besides, he could still visit from time to time.

It was a splendid sunny morning at the Melemele Island, with some clouds on sight and a warm breeze that wafted the smell of wild berries. A perfect beginning for Luna’s new life in Alola, if she could actually move from bed, since she was completely exhausted from the never-ending flight from Kanto. She could hear the faint delighted screams of a boy and his Rockruff playing on the road just outside her new house, but after the many hours of a seemingly never-ending flight, she had fallen asleep as soon as her bed was set. Now she was well rested, but decided to rest a bit more before helping her mom finish with unpacking their stuff, she would probably come and wake her up anyway.

“Ahhh! Can’t you just feel the warmth? The first day spent under Alola’s sun! It’s so warm and bright here!” Luna’s mom exclaimed brightly as she stretched her arms in the side porch, with her Meowth next to her. She was wearing a bright long yellow skirt with a white flower pattern on it, a pair of sunglasses on the top of her head and a plain pastel yellow top. “But that’s enough of that! Time to unpack all these boxes!” She said with determination and then turned to her Pokémon. “Meowth? Go get Luna for me, would you?” The Pokémon nodded and ran off inside the house, toward Luna’s room.

Luna woke up startled by Meowth’s loud cry, which had scared her enough to jump from her bed and land on the floor. She let out a small shriek when she met the cold surface and rubbed her sore spot repeatedly. “Gee… Meowth! You didn’t have to cry so loud, you almost gave me a heart attack!” She sighed slightly annoyed and made her way to the Pokémon, crouching to its height and ruffling its head affectionately. “Ok, I’ll go to meet mom now, just give me a sec.” The Meowth waited patiently for her next to the door so they could go together back to her mom.

The girl made her way to the desk and took a quick look at the journal on it. It was the last gift she received from her father before he left for Aether Paradise. Inside the book, were some tips from his trainer days, and a photo of the family together they took back in the Kanto region, before coming to Alola. 

There were also some instructions on how to handle his Greninja until she became strong enough to have it in her team, a Pokémon he decided to give her so he could somehow look after her, even if he wasn’t there. He knew his Greninja wouldn’t listen to her commands in battle for some time, but trusted it to protect her when he couldn’t do it. That was its special mission, but of course Luna didn’t know any of that.

She sighed and murmured how much she missed him already. Her father was serious, stoic and intelligent; and certainly not one to show much affection towards others, but he had his heart in the right place and always tried a little bit harder to show his tender side to both his wife and his daughter. Even when he travelled around the world so much for his studies and research, he always remembered to bring her some kind of souvenir. These were certainly still unpacked, or they would be filling her desk already.

As she walked toward the door, she took a glance at the box next to her bed and sighed once more. It was going to be a long day.

Harsh sunlight beams entered through the window panes in the dining room/living room. She saw there were fresh berries on the table and her rumbling stomach protested. Maybe a quick snack for breakfast before unpacking wasn’t a bad idea. But she didn’t take a step before her mom came inside and greeted her.

“You were out like a light, weren’t you? You ought to be full of energy by now!” She laughed at her daughter’s sleepy face. “So, Luna… Are you pumped to meet some Alolan Pokémon?” She smiled expectantly.

“Uh, what? Oh! Yeah, I am mom! I can’t wait to have one of my own! But I guess first we gotta clean up the place and finish unpacking the stuff, right?” 

Luna was still brushing the sleep off her eyes but replied excitedly at the prospect of meeting cute new Pokémon. She only hoped they weren’t too scary. She hated to admit it, but she was easily scared by stories of ghost Pokémon haunting old abandoned mansions. She really hoped she wouldn’t have to meet any of them in her trips around Alola.

“That’s right! We have to finish today. Oh! But I want to hurry up and meet some, too!” Her mom laughed once again and sighed wistfully. “But, we’re living in the Alola region now! The beautiful islands everyone wants to visit! I’m sure the Pokémon living in a place like this must be friendly, right?” She tried to reassure her daughter’s thoughts, taking a guess at what her worries were, and she was right.

“Don’t worry mom, we’ll surely meet some cute Pokémon.” Luna laughed dismissively, and waved her hand. Then the doorbell rang.

“Was that the doorbell? That’s got to be Professor Kukui. Why don’t you let him in, Luna?”

As Luna was making her way to the entrance, the Professor saw himself in. He was only wearing an unbuttoned lab coat, a pair of shorts, a cap and a pair of sunglasses. Luna blushed at the sight of his bare chest, and avoided looking at it as much as she could. She wasn’t used to seeing almost shirtless guys back home.

“Hey there, Luna! The name’s Kukui. We talked before via video call, but it’s good to officially meet you, cousin! You gotta be tired after that long trip all the way out here to Alola! You feelin’ any jet lag?” The Professor was a friendly guy, that much she could tell but Luna couldn’t understand how he could be friends with her stoic father. Maybe they were friends because despite her dad not showing much of what was underneath his ‘shell’, this guy got him and stuck around. Yeah, that had to be it.

“Same here, Professor; it’s nice to meet you! I think I slept enough. Ask my mom!” Luna laughed, and kept listening to what the man had to say.

“We sure are a long way from Kanto out here in Alola. It’s still daytime out here, yeah!” As he finished speaking, Luna’s mom came to greet him.  
“Kukui! Yes, we just arrived yesterday.” She smiled amiably.

“Hey there, mom! Sorry, I just let myself in. Welcome to Alola!” The Professor stressed the word ‘mom’ as if it was an inside joke with her mother. Her mom even snickered when he did. Maybe they knew each other from before she was born? Luna wanted to ask them about it, but didn’t. It was not the time.

“Oh, Kukui! It’s been a long time. I still remember seeing you battle the Indigo Gym Leaders back in Kanto all those years ago, you know! I’ve been in love with Alolan Pokémon ever since, so when we decided to come here I was so happy! And of course, it was a chance to see you again. It really has been a long time.” She observed fondly.

“Ha! Remember? I was supposed to be visiting there to research Kanto Pokémon moves and all. I thought I knew a thing or two about battling, but those Kanto Gym Leaders proved me wrong!” He added his bit of the story with mirth. “Hey now, Luna! Let’s get a move on to the next town, cousin! Time for you to meet the Island Kahuna and get yourself a Pokémon, yeah!”

“A Pokémon?!” It was happening so fast! She had just arrived after all, and now she was going to meet her first Pokémon partner? She was thrilled to bits and couldn’t wait to meet them.

“Yeah, sure. The kahuna who lives in Iki Town is always happy to give any kid who wants to have an adventure their first Pokémon, yeah.” He explained it as if it was the most natural thing to him. “But don’t try taking on the kahuna yourself! The kahunas are crazy-strong Pokémon Trainers. They’re unbeatable for folks like me and you!”

“They’ll simply give my girl a Pokémon? Then those kahunas really are worth meeting! Hurry up and get ready, Luna! Your bag, hat and things are still in the boxes in your room, I think.” Luna’s mom declared.

“What? Right now? But what about the unpacking?” Luna asked confused but thrilled non the less.

“Don’t worry about that, Meowth here is all the help I need. Now go, get ready!”

Luna cracked a smile even bigger than before and ran to her room.

“She really does look like the perfect combination of the two of you, huh?” After she left, Kukui commented to his friend, making her blush, which was a rare sight.

“Yeah, I’m glad you helped us get together all that time ago. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened had you not been there with us.” She whispered while looking down at her wedding ring fondly.

After Luna came rushing into her room, she took her favourite hat and put it on while in front of the mirror. Long dark brown locks framed her slightly chubby pale face, and her brown eyes tinkled with excitement. She scratched her small mole on the right side of her chin, and frowned, since she wasn’t overly fond of it. But once she decided she looked good enough, she went up to the desk and grabbed the book and Pokéball her father had given her, without forgetting the photograph and threw them hastily in her bag. 

She stopped once more before the mirror and nodded to herself. She noticed her Ditto plush covered in Meowth’s fur and scratches and sighed before finally going out, she couldn’t blame him, it sure was a comfy plushie.

When Luna came out of her room, both her mom and the Professor were laughing at said Pokémon’s antics.

“You look ready for anything, now. Have a good time out there! I’ll be sure to have everything cleaned up and put away by the time you come back with your new Pokémon!” Her mother reassured her, also eager to meet her daughter’s new partner.

“Woo, that’s a stylin’ hat, cousin! Sure looks a lot like the one your mother used to wear back in the days.” Professor Kukui snickered, and Meowth cried as if agreeing with what he had said. And whoa! That was some new info Luna decided to file for later use. Her mom had given it to her, but she didn’t know it used to be hers. “Your mom there… She’s sure looking forward to you getting your first Pokémon, yeah?” He then asked.

“Actually, I already have this Greninja dad gave me when we arrived here, but yes, technically it will be my first Pokémon.” Luna remarked, thoughtfully.

“Ah, I see. Clever like your father.” He smiled at the way of thinking of the girl. “Anyway, let’s get going to Iki Town! Time for you to get a real nice Alolan Pokémon from the island kahuna, oh yeah!” He added with energy.

After Luna said goodbye to her mom and Meowth, she headed outside with the Professor. When they reached the crossroad, he welcomed her to the region once again, adding the fact that the Pokémon and the people of Alola lived and worked together. He also emphasised that people could go anywhere as long as they had Pokémon helping them. And well, yeah, that was pretty much true.

They walked together toward Iki Town, Kukui stopping from time to time to ask Luna random things or to comment more about the life in Alola. They were sometimes stopped by people around who just wanted to say hello.

When they reached Iki Town, a small place with houses similar to her own, the Professor introduced it to her. “And we’re here! This right here is Iki Town! This town is where folks come to worship the Pokémon that watches over Melemele Island. Tapu Koko keeps us all safe and happy, see!”

Since the kahuna was nowhere on sight, the professor asked Luna to look for him. Which she gladly did, eager to meet her new Pokémon partner. She ended up heading for the ruins of Tapu Koko, and when she finished climbing the steps of the path, she saw a blonde girl with a large white hat talking to something in her bag. Maybe she was the kahuna, but before Luna could move to ask her, she got in the Mahalo Trail, so she decided to follow her.

She was way ahead of her, but Luna could still see her talking to the thing moving inside her bag. When the girl reached a hanging bridge, a Pokémon Luna had never seen before broke out of her bag, it seemed finally happy to have some fresh air and leaped to the bridge without waiting for the girl.

Suddenly, three Spearow approached the defenceless Pokémon and started attacking it. The girl was frozen with fear when Luna reached her.

“Hey! What’s going on? What’s wrong?” Luna asked the desperate looking girl.

“Ah… H-Help… Save Nebby!” The green eyed girl pleaded Luna. And before she could say anything else, Luna ran toward it. She couldn’t stand idle if someone needed her help, even if it meant putting herself in danger for their sake. She couldn’t bare the thought of any Pokémon suffering. In that moment she wished her Greninja, would pay heed to her commands, but she knew that wouldn’t happen soon. She needed to become stronger and show her dad she could train his Greninja. No, it was hers now.

The bridge swayed and Luna was scared to death, but her determination in saving that Pokémon was bigger than her fear, and she kept going, sticking to the outer corners. When she reached it, she crouched protectively around it, keeping it safe from harm. The Spearow kept attacking relentlessly, and their claws dug into her skin. The faint scratches started bleeding and it seemed there was no end to their attack, when a bright light appeared from under Luna, coming straight from the Pokémon. The attack didn’t harm her, but the bridge collapsed.

That was it, Luna was going to die at the age of 12 without even meeting her first Pokémon. What a short lived adventure, she thought, but at least she saved the poor little creature. But before any more of these thoughts were born, a bright sparkling yellow thing saved her, saved them. In the blink of an eye she was back on the ground, next to the blonde girl, both staring at the strange Pokémon that had saved her. Although as soon as it showed up, it flew away.

“Oh, thank goodness! You tried using your power again… didn’t you? Oh, Nebby… You know what happened last time you used it. You couldn’t move for ages after that. I don’t wanna see you like that again! No… I shouldn’t say that. I’m sorry, Nebby… I know you were trying to save me that time… And I couldn’t even help you in return…” The girl rambled on and on, and then ‘Nebby’ moved toward something that was on the ground. 

A sparkling stone of the sorts. The girl apologised for almost ignoring Luna, and thanked her for her help. Luna asked her if she was the kahuna, to which she shook her head and laughed her negative answer. Then she gave her the stone the yellow Pokémon had dropped before, saying it belonged to Luna; and then begged her to keep Nebby a secret, because no one was supposed to know about it.

Luna, being the naive and gentle soul she was, she complied. She trusted people almost immediately, without judging them. And despite being hotheaded and stubborn, there was kindness in her.

The blonde girl asked her to accompany her back to the town, scared she might get attacked by wild Pokémon on her way back, and so Luna went back with her, trying to calm her own nerves about what had just happened to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hope you liked the first chapter!
> 
> Next we'll meet our very first Pokémon! I wonder which one will be...
> 
> See you next time!


	2. New friends!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna makes new friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Another chapter sooner than I expected, but also shorter than I wanted.
> 
> Luna will choose her adventure partner! It's my favourite from the three of them, and the one I chose in my playthrough.
> 
> Also, wow! Thanks for all the comments, bookmarks and kudos! They certainly give me life. Thank you <3
> 
> There's not much to say this time, just wanted to add that I wanted to focus on the relationships between Luna and the rest.
> 
> And, that her personality may seem to fluctuate (or perhaps it's my imagination?)? I only wrote this two chapters so I'm not sure about it. I hope to write it better in the future, so I won't leave any plotholes.
> 
> But, anyway, enjoy this chapter, read you at the bottom!

As they were making their way back to the town, there was an awkward silence between the young girls.

“Oh! You’re bleeding!” The blonde girl exclaimed worriedly, staring at Luna’s arms.

“It’s nothing, really. I’ve had worse, believe me. When you live with a Meowth, scratches like these mean nothing. Like that one time I stepped on its tail by accident. Oh, boy… That really was a nasty scratch I got. Look, I still have the scars!” Luna tried to reassure the girl by smiling and lifting up her right leg, showing her some faded claw marks she had, which apparently only made her worry even more.

“We can’t let you have any more scars, then. Wait a second, I think I still have some bandages left in my bag.” She said and started rummaging through her bag, while trying to keep Nebby inside.

Luna stopped and turned to her, surprised at her kindness, and smiled. She hoped she could be friends with her, she liked her.

“I’m Luna, by the way. Nice to meet you!”

“Oh, how silly of me! I haven’t introduced myself to you yet! My name is Lillie, nice to meet you too.” She smiled warmly at her, with the bandages in her hand. “Now let’s tend to your arms…”

Once her scratches were taken care of, they hurried back to town. When they reached it, the Professor greeted them.

“Hey! Luna! Looks like you missed the kahuna, yeah? But you found my assistant, oh yeah!” He shouted at them from the other side of the platform in the middle of the town. “Looks like you two have already met, but just in case, I’ll introduce you both. Luna, this is my assistant, Lillie.” She giggled and curtsied. “And, Lillie, this here is Luna. She just moved here to Alola! Take good care of her!” Luna also giggled and curtsied back to Lillie.

“Luna, the one and only!” She twirled around and posed graciously, with her arm making a ‘strong’ gesture, gaining another giggle from the other girl.

“So, Luna, you’re also one of the professor’s acquaintances?” Lillie asked her, curiously.

“Yup! Let’s be friends!” Luna nodded and cracked a smile, which the girl returned modestly.

There was a small commotion at the entrance of the town; it seemed the kahuna was finally back from wherever he had gone off to. 

If there was a word that could describe the kahuna, it would be ‘big’. When Luna saw him walk up the steps, making his way toward them, she felt intimidated. This was the man she was supposed to beat to start her adventure? He sure seemed like a strong trainer, and the comments the people had made when they saw him come back, made her a little bit anxious. She tried to make herself smaller and hid behind the professor slowly, not taking her eyes off of him.

“Have I missed something?” he asked the Professor.

“Naw, but where’d you go off to, kahuna? I thought we were meeting here.” Kukui said in a pensive manner, certain he didn’t make a mistake. 

“I am the kahuna of this island after all. Whenever there is a problem on the island, it is my duty to resolve it. Sorry, Lillie. What were you saying before? For some reason I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about…” He commented, with a friendly, inviting demeanour. Making Luna a little more comfortable, her fears slowly disappearing as she started seeing the real kahuna.

“Oh, um… Yes, kahuna Hala… Nebby was being attacked by Spearow on the Plank Bridge when this girl helped it get away… But the bridge collapsed, and I thought both of them might fall to the bottom of the ravine… And that was when the island’s guardian deity swooped in to save them!” At this piece of information, the expressions of the Professor and the kahuna turned to horror.

“Are you ok, girl?” Kahuna Hala inquired with urgency, taking notice of Luna’s bandaged arms.

“Yes, I’m ok, sir. Lillie there patched me up, even though it was nothing to worry about. I’m just glad that Nebby is alright, sir.” Luna responded coming fully into view, with gumption, forgetting entirely about her initial fear of the kahuna.

Alleviation clear on both men’s faces, they smiled.

“Woo! That’s something you don’t hear every day!” Kukui let out a sigh of relief, and laughed nervously. His friends would never forgive him if something happened to their little girl, especially when she was supposed to be under his watch.

“Ho! Although it is said to protect us, our Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature. Yet our guardian was moved to save you, interesting incident indeed…” Hala remarked. “Kukui, my boy, I think we have cause to celebrate! It seems I should entrust this brave and kind young girl with a Pokémon of her own. We’ll make a fine trainer out of her!” He laughed and gave a big pat to the Professor’s back, making him stumble forward.

“Really? Oh my God! My first Pokémon! Thank you, sir!” Luna jumped in the air elated and already celebrating. But then, she remembered she was in front of the kahuna himself, blushed furiously, and apologised for her behaviour.

“Nonsense! Everyone must show how they feel on the inside. Express yourself, young girl, never be afraid to show your happiness.” He beamed at her while sharing his wise words, and she assented. “I’m glad to meet you, child. I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele Island. Welcome to Alola! Young Kukui had told me of your coming. I’m glad we got the chance to meet today.”

“Nice to meet you, kahuna Hala. My name is Luna.” She replied and bowed politely.

“Alright, come my Pokémon! Let’s have a look at you!” The kahuna said as he tossed three Pokéballs in the air.

Three Pokémon appeared in front of Luna, and she was delighted to see them. They were all so cute she couldn’t choose! 

The grass-type, Rowlet had what looked like an adorable bowtie made out of two leaves, and as she got closer, it made a 360° turn and ‘cooed’ at her. She squealed in delight.

Litten, the fire-type, had black and red fur; it meowed at her and jumped when she got closer to it. Luna brought her hands to her cheeks and squished them. This Pokémon was also super cute.

And the last one, Popplio, was dark blue with a pretty pink nose. It did a trick with its tail and cried cheerfully. That was the cutest thing Luna had ever seen a Pokémon do.

The time for her to make her big decision had finally come. Which one would be her companion throughout her whole adventure? She stared at the three Pokémon, and they stared back.

She made up her mind, and chose Litten.

“Only when you have both chosen each other can you truly call each other partners.” Hala declared.

Luna’s heart skipped a beat. What if Litten didn’t want her as its trainer? There had been some cases where starter Pokémon wouldn’t want to stay with their trainer. Would that happen to her?

Hala withdrew the other two Pokémon, and Luna went up the platform, standing right in front of Litten, playing nervously with the hem of her top. The little guy stared at her antics curiously.

“So let us see, if little Litten there also decides to choose you!” The kahuna added when she was in front of the Pokémon.

Luna took a deep breath and tried to get to its same height, like she had done with Meowth thousands of times, and smiled sweetly.

“Hey there, Litten. Wanna go on an adventure with me? I’m sure you’ll love it!” She didn’t know if she was allowed to talk while the ceremony took place, but she did anyway. She really wanted it to be her first buddy.

The Pokémon seemed indecisive, and looked at the Professor for some kind of guidance, after all Kukui had raised it. He nodded, and Litten ran to Luna’s arms, surprising her, almost making her lose her balance. Litten smiled in its own way and Luna screamed in delight. She twirled several times, still with the Pokémon on her arms and hugged it. She was ecstatic and her partner too.

When they both calmed down, Luna put Litten back on the ground and it started sniffing at her curiously, as to get to know her scent, and she giggled when its whiskers tickled her legs. When it was done, she immediately started petting it, finding it loved to be petted under its chin; Litten enjoying the ministrations, paying no attention to its surroundings, basking in the presence of its new trainer.

Both were so entranced that they didn’t notice Hala and the Professor making their way to them.

“Ho! So little Litten has accepted you as well, Luna!” The kahuna, commented, glad to see another young trainer start off their journey.

“Having accepted one another, you’ll surely be friends for life!” The other man, added.

Lillie also was happy to meet her friend’s Pokémon, and apparently Nebby also wanted to meet Luna’s new partner, since it got out of Lillie’s bag without her noticing. Litten stared at them cautiously, tangling its tail around Luna’s legs and standing beside her.

“Oh! When did you get out again? I know that kahuna Hala and the Professor will keep you safe from any harm, but you should still stay in the bag and out of sight. It’s safer that way.” Lillie scolded Nebby and chased it around, trying to get it to go back to her bag. In the end, she gave up and just let it go meet Litten. “I think you chose a wonderful Pokémon, Luna. Please take very good care of it.” She caught her breath a bit and continued.

Then the Professor came and congratulated her on becoming a Pokémon trainer for real. He ruffled Litten’s fur lovingly and gave Luna a Pokédex and her Trainer Passport.

“You should go show your Litten to your mom! I bet she’s dying to see what kind of Pokémon you chose!” He said excitedly, already imagining his friend’s reaction.

Luna started going back to her house, with Litten running next to her, when in the middle of the road, a boy about her age stopped her and challenged her to a Pokémon battle. Hala and the rest came to see what the fuss was about.

“Dahahaha! Where’s the fire boy? And what kind of a Pokémon battle would that be where you don’t even give a name first, eh?” The kahuna reprimanded the boy.

“Fair enough. Then I’m Hau. And my partner’s Rowlet!” Said Pokémon popped out behind the kid’s back and stood on his head. “Your Litten looks really cool, too!” When Litten heard those words it puffed its chest out, proudly and stood in front of Luna.

“Thanks! Your Rowlet’s cool too!”

“Let’s battle! I couldn’t wait for you to find your way to Iki Town, so I’ve been all over looking for you!” Hau snickered.

“Um… I don’t really like to see Pokémon battles where Pokémon can get hurt… but I’ll watch for you.” Lillie broke in.

“It’s ok if you don’t want to watch Lillie, but thanks.” Luna responded.

“Oh yeah, your first battle already! Just have your Pokémon dish out some moves and see who wins. Woo!” The Professor cheered.

“I appreciate you being willing to take my grandson here. I expect a no-holds-barred battle from the both of you!” Such high expectations from the kahuna himself made Luna nervous, and the fact that it was his grandson that she was battling with made her even more agitated, but she was determined to win. This was going to be the first victory of many more to come, she just knew it.

“So, you will battle me, right? I know you will! Right?” Hau insisted with a big smile on his face.

“Yeah, and I won’t lose!” Luna proclaimed with a smile to match his. His disposition sure was contagious.

And so, Luna’s first battle began…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to stop there cause it's late and tomorrow I have school. We'll pick up where I left off, next chapter!
> 
> See you next time!


	3. Mom meets Litten!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all there is to know basically. Oh, and we get to know a lil bit more of Luna's family!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Finally an update!  
> Sorry, but these weeks had been a little bit busy, and I was too tired to write anything, but here's the update!
> 
> Thank you all for the comments, kudos and hits I've been getting! I wasn't expecting this kind of reception, but I'm glad you guys liked it :) I'll try to improve my descriptive narrative, but I still have a lot to work on...
> 
> Also, I fixed the tags and added some new ones. And in the end I decided to give Litten a nickname, not the one that I used on my playthrough, but still oddly fitting enough.
> 
> Anyway, that's all, I think. Read you at the bottom <3

As everyone moved to one side of the road they were standing on, Hau brought up his right arm in front of his chest and locked it with his other arm, stretching it lazily. Luna wondered if he was nervous, because she sure as hell was; after all, this was her very first battle!

When her rival was done, he confronted her with a confident smile, bouncing a Pokéball with frenzy. A small Rowlet was let out and Litten looked at her, determined. Luna nodded at it with a smirk and the Pokémon stood before her, ready to follow her instructions.

She ordered it to use “Ember” and it was super effective! Rowlet, which had taken quite the hit, in return, tackled Litten but it didn’t do as much damage as it had done before, so Luna decided to go with the same move again. And that made Rowlet faint. Hau smiled and sighed, withdrawing the fallen Pokémon to its Pokéball. He made his way to where the others were and started a small chat.

Luna celebrated her victory with a fist to the sky. “We did it Litten! We won our first battle!” The Pokémon was jumping up and down around her, elated to see her so happy because of its triumph. “I believe I should give you a nickname worthy of this victory…” She pondered as she picked Litten up in her arms and it rubbed its face on her face affectionately. “There’s one name I’ve had in mind, and I think it will fit you perfectly. How about Shere Khan? Do you like it, Litten?” The Pokémon stared at her for a moment and rubbed on her face once more, this time purring furiously. She got that as a yes and hugged her partner. “Ok, Shere Khan! This will be the first of many battles to win. I’m counting on you, and I hope I won’t let you down.” She hugged it one last time before setting it on the ground.

The name she had chosen was from one of her favourite stories her dad used to read to her before going to bed. She still had that old book somewhere in her house, probably still inside of one of the boxes, if her mom hadn’t already tidied up. The book had fallen into her father’s hands in one of his many trips around the world. It was not a known story from where she was from, and it was certainly unusual, but the creatures in it delighted her whenever her dad described them. Truth was, the nickname she had chosen for her Pokémon, was the name of the main antagonist of the tale, but she found it strangely fitting for her Litten.

“You fought good, congrats!” Hau said as he snapped her out of her reverie, making her realise everyone was surrounding her, giving her congratulatory smiles. “Here.” He handed her some money for her victory, which she accepted reluctantly. She felt bad for making Hau’s Rowlet faint. It seemed so small compared to her Litten… But she needed to toughen up if she was going to be a trainer, besides, Pokémon always got better after a visit to the Pokémon Center or after some potions. 

“Hoo-ee! That gave me chicken skin!” Hau jumped happily, excited after the battle. “Luna, right? Your Litten was awesome!” He crouched to it’s level and said Pokémon hid behind its trainer’s legs. Apparently, loud people were not in Shere Khan’s list of favourite things. Hau stood up and puffed out his chest, with both hands on his hips and that big smile of his. “Now that settles it! I’m going all out tomorrow!”

Luna was about to comment something, but the stone that the island’s guardian had given to her, decided to shine that very moment, making the kahuna somewhat curious.

“Hm? Luna… Would you be so kind as to give me a look at that sparkling stone you have there?” The old man requested, to which Luna agreed to and handed him said rock with a smile, since he probably knew more about it than she will ever do.

“Tutu, isn’t that…” Hau asked his grandfather slightly concerned, but he interrupted him.

“You were rescued by Tapu Koko at the bridge— isn’t that what I heard, Luna?” Hala inquired her as he rested his left hand on his grandson’s shoulder, a gesture he hoped would calm the child a bit.

“Yeah, exactly. That’s when I got that stone, sir.” Luna replied, and Lillie got closer to her, excusing herself from what she was discussing with the Professor, wanting to be close to her new friend. Luna smiled at her when she reached her side, but kept her serious face while the kahuna talked.

“So it even deigned to give you a stone… Perhaps you are here in Alola, Luna, because this is where you are meant to be.” Hala’s words stirred up a warmth in Luna’s heart. Up to that point she felt like anyone would when moving to a new area, filled with doubts and insecurities, wondering if they were going to be ok in an unknown region; but after hearing that coming from the kahuna himself, made her feel like Alola was definitely her spot in the world, like she belonged somewhere, and that perhaps her parents deciding to go there was not a coincidence. 

She brought up her hands to her heart, as to steady it and smiled, her eyes seeming to give off sparks. Lillie saw her reaction to the man’s words and couldn’t stop staring at her, she didn’t care if it seemed rude, in that exact moment she thought to herself how she wanted to see more of Luna’s cute expressions, this one occupying the first place, and she blushed, her heartbeat also altered. “Allow me to borrow this stone for now. But fret not! I’ll return it to you tomorrow evening.” The kahuna continued, and Hau smiled at the whole situation that was going on. “It would seem that you have the makings of a fine Trainer. You must do us the honor of joining in our festival tomorrow!” Hala invited her, to said event.

The Professor having heard the last bit of conversation, approached the four of them and suggested Luna to go back to her home with him and Lillie, to introduce Litten to her mom. After the heart attack story she told him, he couldn’t risk anything happening to her on his watch.

Again, without anyone noticing, Nebby had left his bag. Seriously, how did that keep happening? Anyone would notice a small galaxy-like Pokémon coming out of a bag. But then again, Lillie was quite mesmerised by Luna to acknowledge anything.

“Oh, you! Would you not try to escape the very moment that you were told not to wander off!” She scolded the restless Pokémon, blushing for not realising it had left its place. Everyone laughed at the situation and then, the kahuna and his grandson left to start the preparations for the festival.

Professor Kukui and Lillie accompanied Luna and her Litten back to her house, and then left to their place.

“Welcome back, Luna!” Her mother greeted her from the kitchen as soon as she stepped in, drying her wet hands on her skirt, just finishing washing the dishes and some cups. Luna marvelled at the sight of the house without any of the boxes. It seemed even bigger than before and it felt as though they had always been living there; her mom was awesome!

“Hi, mom! Wow! This place looks amazing! Sorry for not helping you… It looked like a lot of work to do it alone.” Luna trailed off, looking a bit guilty, since she always helped with the housework. Her Pokémon next to her looked up, noticing the different tone of her voice, worried at it.

“Ah, don’t worry, darling!” She dismissed with a wave of her hand and a smile on her dark skinned face. “So! What kind of Pokémon did you get? Don’t keep me waiting.” She asked excitedly, already making her way to her daughter. She spotted a small black and red fur ball entangled in Luna’s legs, studying her and her Meowth carefully.

“Mom, Meowth, this is Shere Khan, my Litten! It’s a fire type Pokémon. Haha… I wonder what dad would say about me choosing a fire type…” She introduced her partner to the both of them, and then scratched the back of her head laughing nervously, since she always reveled on her father’s praises.

Apparently, her dad himself rebelled against the family tradition of grass type Pokémon and chose a water type as his first Pokémon. His grandpa cried when he found out, but ended up falling in love with the little Squirtle anyway. His mom didn’t mind much, because as long as he was happy, she was. She wondered how they were doing; she would have to call them soon. It was a miracle really her great grandfather was still alive, but the guy was a tough one. When her grandma told her all the stuff he had done in his life, she couldn’t believe most of them.

Luna loved listening to her dad’s childhood stories, and adventures, but apparently he kept a secret his encounter with Kukui, and it seemed by the way the Professor and her mom talked, they had been very good friends. She was saddened at the thought of her dad not telling her everything about him; after all, she admired him very much.

As her Litten grew confident and curious, it left her side to go sniff the other Pokémon. “Oh! I think I’m falling in love! So why did you choose this sweetheart?” Her mother exclaimed with practically hearts in her eyes, plastering her hands on both sides of her face, unable to contain her happiness. And mentally giggling at her name choice.

“Because it’s the cutest thing ever! Just look at it!” Luna said, imitating her mom’s actions. Litten, moved to sniff the other human, curious as to why her scent tangled itself with its trainer’s. “This is my mom, Shere Khan, be nice to her.” The Pokémon now understood why their scents were so similar, and accepted her quickly, as well as Meowth.

“Well then, honey, you picked right… because I’d say this little charmer is definitely cute and cool!” 

Suddenly hot tears started forming at the edge of her eyes, feeling overwhelmed and proud. “The two of you look great together… I feel happier just looking at the pair of you! Ah! Hold on, I gotta show this to your father!” She choked her last words, wiped her tears rapidly and ran to the table, where her smartphone was. She came back to her side and started taking countless photos of Luna and her Litten, this one liking the attention it was being showered with started posing for the camera. Luna just laughed. “There, all done. He’ll probably print them and decorate his whole working station with them.” Luna blushed at the thought of her father’s doting nature making a commotion in the Aether Foundation.

After that, her mom healed up Litten and Luna asked her if there was anything she could help her with, to which she said she could go rest or play with Shere Khan. Luna then ran to her room, Litten hot on her trail and plopped on her bed. The Pokémon jumped on top of her and they both lied there, Luna staring at the ceiling and Litten falling asleep. Not long after, she received a message from her dad, congratulating her on becoming a trainer. The message didn’t indicate any emotion other than genuine happiness, so she was relieved her dad didn’t comment on her Pokémon choice. Soon, Luna’s eyes started drooping, and she also ended up falling asleep.

The following day started pretty much like the day before, only this time, Luna was awake; enjoying the morning breeze of another splendid day with her mom and their Pokémon at the porch; of course after having a very complete breakfast full of delicious berries. The doorbell rang, and her mom asked her to go get the door for her. Luna and Shere Khan made their way to the living room, only to find Kukui already inside. This time she didn’t blush when she saw him shirtless, after spending almost an entire day with him, she got used fast.

“Hey there, Luna! It’s about time we set out for the festival, yeah!” The Professor informed her the preparations were almost done, and they could go before. “But first… Now that you’re a real Pokémon Trainer with your own Pokémon and all, I’ve gotta show you something. Come follow me.”

Luna wondered what it could be, as her mom, seeing her daughter hadn’t gone back, went to check up on her.

“Kukui! Good morning!” She greeted her old friend. “Have fun at the festival, sweetie! I’m sure you’ll have a good time with Litten! Me and Meowth will be there as well, so catch you later, Kukui!” She said as she practically pushed them both outside. Luna wondered what was up with that.

“Uhm, you know, Luna, you don’t always need to have Litten outside of its Pokéball. You can keep it inside as well.” The Professor commented, as they made their way to Route 1.

“Yup, I know, but I think we both like it more this way.” She explained with her hands held behind her back, gazing fondly at said Pokémon.

“I see. Well, today I’m gonna teach you how to catch a Pokémon.” He informed her as they both came to a stop in some tall grass on the Route. “So you know that they will sometimes jump out at you in the tall grass, yeah? Now that you’ve got Shere Khan there, you can fight them and catch them! Woo! I’ll show you how it’s done, so keep your eyes on me and the prize!” Luna nodded effusively and paid attention at the steps, not that it wasn’t easy to follow, she was just eager to soak in every bit of information she could.

It wasn’t that difficult, really. You just had to weaken it and then throw a Pokéball to catch it. Easy peasy.

“…And that’s how it’s done. Here are some Pokéballs and Potions to get you started. Why don’t you have a little adventure of your own on the way to Iki Town, yeah? Take good care of Luna, Shere Khan!” The Professor finished his explanation and gave her 10 Pokéballs and 5 Potions, she promised to herself she would pay him back someday. 

And so, she was left alone with her Litten, eager to try to catch her first Pokémon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh! Which will be Luna's first caught Pokémon? What tactics will she use? What will happen at the festival?
> 
> Stay tuned for next chapter!


	4. Gladion's Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Making an intermission in the story, we delve into Gladion's backstory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people! Sorry for the hiatus, had some busy months, and then when I was finally free nothing came to mind on how to continue this fic, so I thought of Gladion's past and decided to add bits of it from time to time.  
> Thank you for the kudos and bookmarks guys, it means a lot to me and pushes me to keep writing.  
> There might be some mistakes spelling or grammar mistakes somewhere there but uh just ignore them <3 (or tell me, yeah that's better)  
> So, with no more further delay, here's chapter four.   
> Read you at the bottom, and enjoy!

Three years ago.

It was late at night, when he finally made the decision to leave his home, save at least a Null and run away. Gladion knew it wasn’t going to be easy; after all, the guards his mother Lusamine, the president of the Foundation, had taken in as of recently were anything but amicable, but if anything, these obstacles strengthened his resolve to succeed in this personal mission of his. He grabbed a backpack and threw in some food, and the Pokémon dollars he had managed to save. Before leaving, he went to his sister’s room, and kissed her forehead goodbye. She stirred in her sleep, but didn’t open her eyes.

He sneaked skilfully to the lower levels and reached the room where the Pokémon he was looking for were. Luckily, there were no sentries present, but he still kept his guard up. Wicke, the assistant branch chief, was the only one that knew of his many escapades towards the lower labs, and she kept his secret well.

After his father left, his mother was never the same loving woman he had known, and after her obsession with the Ultra Beasts only grew, he knew there was no going back to his happy childhood days. Leaving Lillie, his little sister, alone with her pained him, but he knew Wicke would take care of her, it was in her nature and he trusted her.

Gladion knew that when he entered the room, he would have little time to grab the Pokémon and leave before the guards made their way down there and cornered him, so he took a deep breath and typed the password in the lousy security panel; luckily for him, he didn’t get it wrong. He would have to thank Wicke when he sees her again, because it was thanks to her he could get the correct code combination; he didn’t know when that would be but he would be certain to do so.

Three big tanks made out of glass stood in the back of the room, holding the Pokémon in a cryogenic stasis. He looked around first, and discovered the Memories he heard some of the scientists talk about. He was certain they were important so he placed them in his backpack before making his way toward the tanks. When his hand came in contact with the glass, alarms started blaring through the entire building. He knew he didn’t have enough time to take the three of them with him, so he chose the nearest one. He grabbed the heavy computer on the desk at his left and smashed it into the frail material. The Pokémon broke free, but it was still unconscious. He grabbed one of the Pokéballs, called Null inside it, put it in one of his pants’ pockets and started running towards the docks.

The elevator was obviously a no-go, so he used the air vents as a shortcut. There was little to no unknown place to him in the artificial island after years of playing hide and seek with Lillie, and the vents proved useful when he made it out just where he wanted. But the reception he got was unexpected. Not only dozens of sentries were present, but his own mother too. He gulped nervously, and grazed the Pokéball tucked safely in his right pocket.

“Don’t worry buddy, I’ll protect you. I’ll get us both out of here.” Gladion whispered, to mostly reassure himself. He took a deep breath and faced his mother. “You must know what you’re doing is wrong, mother! Snap out of it!” His voice trembled, but it was fierce as he tried to approach one of the boats.

“Return what belongs to me, now dear child. I don’t want to hurt you, but if you leave me no choice, I won’t hesitate.” The woman’s cold voice cut the air and her stoic demeanour made her son shiver, his mother wouldn’t harm him… Would she?

Some of the people surrounding them shared a confused look between them, but others showed no doubt. They would hurt him.

“Never!” And with that, he sprinted with all he had.

The wind blew with no mercy against the poor boy that tried to dodge the hands of the guards. The cold raindrops dampened his clothes faster than he could run and his mother’s booming voice could still be heard despite the distance he managed to put between them.  
He was almost there. He was going to make it! He grinned and made a last jump to get on the boat.

That was until one of the employees managed to catch him. Gladion let out a heartbreaking “No!” and as he struggled to get free, the Pokéball in his pocket fell off in the boat, opening on its own and letting out Null on the dock. All of the employees stared in awe, and the boy taking advantage of it, freed himself from the guard’s grasp.

The Pokémon looked weak, and disoriented, which made it lash out at anything near it, including Gladion. The claws managed to rip his clothes in several places, hurting him in the process. He fell in the small yatch, and as he grabbed the Pokéball he tried to calm down the beast from where he was standing.

He elevated his voice above the chaos around him and then tried talking in what he thought was a soothing voice. “Buddy! Hey, hey! Listen to me! I know this is a lot to take in, but you have to calm down and trust me. Come with me, I’ll take you away from this horrible place. No more experiments, no more scientists, you can be free. All you gotta do is trust me. We can go in an adventure, you and I!” Null, after seeing the boy didn’t share the same clothes or expressions the people around him had, stared at him, as if trying to discern his real intentions. He saw no ill demeanor, and jumped with him in the small yatch.

The commotion went not unnoticed by his mother, who was enraged at the display before her. The Aether people, her people, were too scared to approach the Type: Null in its upset state, meanwhile her son had managed to bring it with him in the boat. 

“What are you all doing? Capture them immediately!” She ordered infuriated. But as the guards advanced toward the kid, the Pokémon defended itself and Gladion, giving him enough time to start the motor and make his way out of the Foundation.

Only when he had put some distance between them, he allowed himself to relax a bit. The Pokémon next to him looked anxious as it paced on the surface of the yatch. Gladion stared at him and thanked it for trusting him and saving him back at the docks. Null peered at him, still uncertain, but more serene than before. It noticed the boy’s scratches on his clothes and skin and let out a guilty whine.

“Oh, it’s ok, don’t worry buddy. They’ll heal. And as for the clothes… Well, I think I look a lot cooler now.” He laughed, letting out the stress he was bottling up. 

But soon, the laugh turned into sobs. He was leaving everything he had ever known in his 12 years old behind, and now he didn’t have a place to go. He started hyperventilating, and felt an oncoming panic attack, which made him panic more. Here, in the middle of the storming sea he had nothing to anchor him back, and he was scared it could escalate into one of his worst ones yet. His knees gave in and he fell to the floor.

The Pokémon looked concerned, and tried getting closer to him, bumping its head gently to the boy’s side as a form of comfort. Gladion took its head in his arms and hugged it like his life depended on it, begging it would be enough to calm him. He tried to steady his breaths and little by little, stopped crying and trembling. Null didn’t move at all, patience and understanding painted in its face.

“Thank you, Null. It’s ok. I’ve got you, I’m not alone. We will make it out alright.” With a thread of voice he tried to reassure himself, and it seemed to work, for the moment. 

Soon, they heard motors getting closer and Null went in full defense mode. Gladion got up and steered the wheel, he had to get away from them, get them somewhere safe, but where? The storm made it hard for him to see where he was going, and he didn’t have that much experience with boats, only what his dad had taught him ages ago.

His thoughts were abruptly stopped when a huge Gyarados appeared right before the boat, and he had to maneuver quickly before the Pokémon’s big tail crushed them to bits. He managed to get away from it, but now he was more lost than ever. He wished the Gyarados was enough to stop the people behind him.

When the storm ceased and he could finally see before him, he recognized the silhouette of Mount Lanakila of the Ula-Ula island. He didn’t hear the sonorous motors of the boats behind him, so he finally thought they were safe and slowed down. He looked at Null and realised it should probably return to its Pokéball, after all, it was still weak. Going to a Pokémon Center would be the first thing in his list when he reached Ula-Ula island.

“Buddy, hey, you gotta go back to your Pokéball, you’re still weak.” The Pokémon refused at first, panic clear on its face. “Come on, Null, don’t worry. I won’t let any harm come to you as long as you’re with me. You’ll be safe.” It took a bit more coaxing from Gladion, but the Pokémon finally acceded to his request.

From the distance, he distinguished the lights of a Pokémon Center, standing right in the west side of the island, or so he thought. He sailed the small yatch as close as he could, and then swam the rest of the stretch.

When he made it to the Center, he was chilled to the bone and exhausted, but he had to make sure the nurse took care of Null first. And so, after his Pokémon was healed, he passed out right in front of the reception desk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if next chapter will continue this one or Luna's story.  
> But anyway, see you next chapter!


End file.
